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1. Field of the Invention
This application generally relates to computer networks and internetworks and, more particularly, to a software tool which configures devices to be included in a computer network or internetwork.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally speaking, a network is a collection of user devices, generally classified as data terminal equipment (or xe2x80x9cDTExe2x80x9d), interconnected for bi-directional exchanges of information. For example, visual displays, computer systems and office workstations are all electronic devices classified as DTEs. A local area network (or xe2x80x9cLANxe2x80x9d) is an interconnection of plural computer systems distributed around a single site. A wide area network (or xe2x80x9cWANxe2x80x9d) is an interconnection of plural computer systems located at different sites. Traditionally, computer systems have used modems to connect to a WAN via the public switched telephone network (or xe2x80x9cPSTNxe2x80x9d) or public switched data network (or xe2x80x9cPSDNxe2x80x9d). In recent years, WANs which utilize integrated services digital networks (or xe2x80x9cISDNsxe2x80x9d), which enable data to be transmitted without modems, to interconnect computer systems have become more common. Finally, an internetwork is a collection of networks interconnected by a WAN.
Devices are initially unconfigured when delivered by the factory. Configuration is a process during which the hardware and software of an unconfigured device is organized and interconnected so that the configured device will be able to perform the tasks desired thereof. As is well appreciated in the art, the wide variety of devices which may be installed on a network, as well as the variety of networks which may be connected to form an internetwork, makes the configuration of networks and internetworks a difficult task which requires highly detailed technical knowledge of the various networks, the protocols used to link with the various networks and the devices to be installed thereon. Thus, configuration of network devices is often one of the most daunting tasks facing a network administrator, particularly for those in charge of small and medium size networks have between 100 and 1,000 nodes. While such networks are relatively complex, their administrators often have only minimal training in internetworking administration and may be unfamiliar with routing technology and/or WAN technology.
For example, data link protocols are used to control access to networks. A LAN typically uses the logical link control (or xe2x80x9cLLCxe2x80x9d) subclass of the high-level data link control (or xe2x80x9cHDLCxe2x80x9d) protocol as its data link protocol. However, an X.25-type packet-switching WAN uses link access procedure, balanced (or xe2x80x9cLAPBxe2x80x9d), a protocol based on HDLC, as its data link protocol. The data link protocol for an ISDN-type WAN, on the other hand, may either be a connection-orientated protocol known as frame switching or a connectionless protocol known as frame relay.
Thus, it can be readily seen from the foregoing that it would be desirable to simplify the task of configuring network devices. It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide an apparatus and associated method for guiding a user through the complex task of configuring a network device.
In one embodiment, the present invention is of an apparatus and associated method, implemented on a computer system, for constructing a configuration file for a network device. The apparatus includes a configuration script stored in a memory subsystem of the computer system and a software module executable by a processor subsystem of the computer system. The configuration script contains a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file for a first specified type of network device. By executing the instructions contained in the configuration script, the software module may construct a configuration file suitable for upload to a network device of the first specified type for configuration such that the network device may be configured using the configuration file constructed by the software module.
In one aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the configuration script includes a first section which contains a series of configuration commands which generate requests for information such that information received by the software module in response to the requests for information is used to construct the configuration file. In another aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the configuration script includes a second section which contains a set of connection rules for connecting the first specified type of network device to at least one other specified type of network device. In a related aspect thereof, the first section includes a first portion which corresponds to each of the at least one other specified type of network device specified in the connection rules contained in the second section of the configuration script. Each such portion contains a subset of the series of configuration commands contained in the first section of the configuration script. Each such subset of configuration commands are executed only if the network device for which the configuration file is being constructed is connected to a network device of the other specified type of network device.
In another aspect thereof, the configuration script further includes a third section which defines a backplane bitmap for the network device. In a related aspect thereof, the third section of the configuration script further includes first, second and third portions. The first portion defines a bitmap file for generating the backplane bitmap, the second portion provides locational information for connected interfaces on the backplane bitmap and the third portion defines an overlay bitmap for the backplane bitmap for each of the at least one other specified type of network device specified in the connection rules contained in the second section of the configuration script. In another related aspect thereof, the configuration script further includes a fourth section which contains a user selectable set of commands for each of the connected interfaces.
In another embodiment, the present invention is of an apparatus and associated method, implemented on a computer system, for constructing a network configuration map comprised of at least two interconnected network entities selected from a series of network entities. The apparatus includes a series of configuration scripts, each corresponding to one of the series of network entities, stored in the memory subsystem and a first software module, executable by the processor subsystem. Each one of the series of configuration scripts includes a first section comprised of first and second portions. The first portion contains an icon file for generating an icon representative of the corresponding one of the series of network entities while the second portion contains a set of connection rules for the corresponding one of the series of network entities. The software module constructs the network configuration map by generating a workspace, placing at least two icons on the workspace in response to a first input received from a user interface and connecting first and second ones of the icons placed on the workspace in response to a second input received from the user interface if the set of connection rules contained in the second portion of the configuration scripts corresponding to first and second network entities represented by the first and second icons permit connection of the first and second network entities.
In one aspect of this embodiment of the invention, at least one of the series of configuration scripts further includes a second section which contains a series of executable instructions for constructing a configuration file for the network entity. In this aspect, the apparatus further comprises a second software module, executable by the processor subsystem in response to a third input received from the user interface which selects an icon previously placed on the network configuration map for configuration, for constructing a configuration file if the configuration script corresponding to the selected icon is one of the configuration scripts having the second section. The configuration file is constructed by executing the series of instructions contained in the second section of the configuration script and appending the constructed configuration file to the selected icon. In a further aspect thereof, the series of instructions contained in the second section of the configuration scripts includes a series of configuration commands which generate requests for information such that information received by the second software module in response to the requests for information is used to construct the configuration file.
In another aspect thereof, the second section of the configuration scripts further include a first portion corresponding to each one of the series of network entities specified in the set of connection rules contained in the first portion of the first section of the configuration script. This portion contains a subset of the series of configuration commands which are executed only if the network entity for which the configuration file is being constructed is connected to a network entity specified in the set of connection rules. In yet another aspect thereof, the first section of the configuration scripts further include a third portion which contains a name for the corresponding one of the series of network entities. During construction of the network configuration map, the first software module places the name on the network configuration map if the icon corresponding to the configuration script is placed on the map.